Kahikatea

Dacrycarpus dacrydioides

The kahikatea (kike) or New Zealand white pine is our tallest tree. It favours wet swampy sites, in particular, ground which is subject to flooding. Kahikatea or white pine, is so called because of the white, soft nature of the wood. This wood was used to make the boxes for the butter to be exported to England. The most striking feature of the younger trees is their beautiful patterned bark. In the older specimens this is not so noticeable. Kahikatea, like other cone bearing trees of the podocarp family develops seeds sitting on a bright coloured fleshy receptacle. (In this case orange-red). Kahikatea is a favoured food of the wood pigeons.